


We'll rise and fall (then rise again)

by TeenageMutantGingerNinja



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Asexual Jughead, Bisexual Archie, Canon Compliant, M/M, Minor Violence, My First Work in This Fandom, Pre-Canon, based on the tv show as i've never read the comics, heres a 5 + 1 fic because they're my favourites and i don't care if they're overdone, the description pretty much explains the fic!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 13:28:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9899222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeenageMutantGingerNinja/pseuds/TeenageMutantGingerNinja
Summary: 5 times Jughead wears Archie's clothes + 1 time Archie wears his





	

**Author's Note:**

> READ FOR INFORMATION ON THE TIMELINE OF THE FIC:
> 
> This is set starting a year before the events of the series, and then following through to the end of 1x04. There are pretty big time jumps between each part - apart from the last two - so just a warning in case there's any confusion!

**ONE:**

“It’s a group project, Jughead.” Betty told him for the third time that day, sounding exasperated. “By its very nature you can’t do it by yourself.” 

“I don’t like being forced to socialise with people, I could finish the project perfectly well on my own.” 

“It’s not like you’re being paired with just anyone.” Archie piped up, “You’ve got me and Betty.” 

“That’s half the problem.” Betty rolled her eyes at the comment, Archie playfully shoving Jughead in the arm, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Jughead couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he followed the two of them down the street towards their respective homes. 

They were all on their way to Archie’s to work on the project. Jughead would much rather they do it at Pop’s so that he could at least have a burger whilst they were working, but Betty had insisted that they’d get a lot more done this way. He’d learnt a long time ago that it was better not to argue with Betty Cooper on these sorts of things, so he’d let it go - only complaining the minimum amount on the way. 

It wasn’t until they were halfway there that the first drop of rain fell, landing on the back of Jughead’s neck and sending a shiver down his spine. He rubbed at the back of his neck, glancing up at the clouds just in time for the heavens to open, sending water plummeting to the ground. 

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Betty yelled up at the sky, pulling her cardigan closer around herself as the cold rain hit her skin. 

“Come on, let’s go!” Jughead quickly pulled his hat form his head, shoving it into his jacket pocket to stop it from getting wet as the three of them took off running down the street. Jughead trailed behind the whole way back, but he’d never considered himself much of an athlete, this was probably the most exercise he was going to be getting all year.

To say he was out of breath when they finally made it onto the porch and out of the rain was an understatement. Jughead leant back against the wall of the house, taking in a deep breath. It made him feel a little better to see that Betty looked equally as tired out, a hand against her chest as she stared out at the rain hitting the pavement. Archie, however, seemed more or less unphased, looking at the two of them with an amused expression on his face.  

“I told you going to Pop’s would be a better choice." Jughead piped up once he’d gotten his breathing back to normal. “We would have gotten there before the rain started,  _ and _ we’d have food.” Betty was glaring up at him, but the effect was lost by the way she was hugging herself, shivering from the cold.

“I’m going to go and change before I catch a cold.” Betty announced, backing up towards the edge of the porch. “I’ll meet you back here in a bit?” Archie nodded in agreement, the two of them watching as Betty ran across to the next house over, quickly shoving the door open and stepping inside. 

Jughead’s gaze soon moved over to Archie, watching as the water droplets dripped slowly from Archie’s hair as he ran a hand through it, causing it to stick up all over the place. He was pretty much soaked through, his damp shirt was all but plastered to his chest, making his heavy breathing all that more noticeable. 

Jughead tore his eyes away, instead looking down at himself and groaning in annoyance as he pulled his damp t-shirt away from his skin. 

“Not that I don’t love standing out in the cold, Arch, but do you think we could go inside?” When he looked back up Archie was watching him with a strange expression on his face, but he quickly nodded, digging around in his pocket to find his keys. 

Archie unlocked the door to his house, toeing off his shoes and leaving them out on the porch before going inside. Jughead did the same, dropping his back off at the foot of the stairs as they made their way up to Archie’s room. 

Jughead had become something of a permanent fixture at the Andrews household recently, coming over most days after school rather than going back to his own home. His parents fought a lot, and he didn’t like to be around when they did – but especially not when they aimed their anger at him, something which had been increasing in frequency over the past year. 

He was about to sit down on the bed once they reached Archie’s room, but then thought better of it, not wanting to get water all the sheets. Archie seemed to be having the same thought. He was frowning as he looked down at himself, squeezing the hem of his t-shirt and watching the water drip onto the floor.

“Hey Arch?” Archie looked up at him, letting go of his shirt. “Do you think, maybe, I could borrow some clothes?” Archie nodded, brushing past him to get to his wardrobe, rummaging through his things to find something for Jughead.

“They might be a bit big for you.”

“You’re not even that much taller than me.” Archie let out a short laugh as he passed Jughead a t-shirt and some trousers. 

“Still taller than you though.” Jughead rolled his eyes, shoving Archie on the shoulder as he accepted the clothes, leaving the room to go and get changed in the bathroom instead.

The clothes don’t fit him too badly, although he can’t fill them out as well as Archie does, much to his annoyance - he hates it when Archie’s right. 

He wasn’t sure what to do with his wet clothes though – he tried ringing them out in the sink, but it doesn’t really help anything. Instead he ends up hanging them over the edge of the bath, hoping they’ll be dry by the time he goes home. 

He’s about to leave when he noticed one of Archie’s jumpers hanging on the back of the bathroom door. It’s a little battered, but it’s one of Jughead’s favourites, so he doesn’t even think before he grabs it off the hook and pulls it over his head. The sleeves are a little long, reaching over his hands, but that just helps to warm him up even more.

There’s a towel hung up there too, which he uses to try and dry off his hair a little, before retrieving his hat from where he’d stowed it away inside it’s jacket. It still got a little wet, but it’s nothing he can’t deal with. He pulls it back on over his ears, already feeling much more comfortable. 

He tucks his nose into the fabric of the jumper as he leaves the bathroom and heads back to Archie’s room. Archie’s still half way through getting changed when he opens the door, pulling his soaked shirt up over his head. Jughead stills in the doorway, unsure of where he’s supposed to look - his gaze ultimately lands on Archie’s back, watching the way his muscles move as he throws his wet shirt into the laundry basket by the window.

When Archie turns back round to face him Jughead quickly averts his eyes, pointedly looking anywhere other than Archie. He doesn’t seem to catch onto Jughead’s discomfort though, making no move to go and find a shirt for himself as he towels off his hair.

“Told you they’d be a little big for you.” Jughead glances down at his own feet, the sweat pants he’s wearing having pooled around his ankles.

“I swear, one day I’m going to be taller than you.” When he looks back up Archie’s grinning at him.

“If you say so.” Jughead’s about to respond with some witty remark when he feels someone nudge his back, looking over his shoulder to find Betty stood behind him. He hadn’t even heard the front door open, or her climbing up the stairs for that matter - he doesn’t even know how she’d gotten there so quickly, but he honestly doesn’t care enough to ask. 

She’s much drier now though, having changed into another one of her usual outfits - the only difference being that she’d now let her hair down, the damp strands falling just past her shoulders.

When it doesn’t seem like Jughead’s planning on getting out the way of the doorframe any time soon, Betty makes a move to push past him instead, carrying a binder full of work in her arms. 

“Jughead, would you please m-” Betty cuts herself off as she steps past him, eyes widening upon seeing a shirtless Archie stood in the middle of the room. “Oh.” Is all she says, a flustered Archie quickly using the towel in his hands to cover himself up a bit.

Betty quickly spins back around to face Jughead, a flush to her cheeks that he’s hoping above all hopes don’t match his own - at least if they do, he could maybe blame it on the cold weather, not the sheepish smile Archie’s giving him over Betty’s shoulder.

“You could have given me some warning, Jug.” Jughead just shrugged, leaning against the doorframe as Archie rummaged around in his draws to find a shirt to wear. 

“I might have done if you’d actually given me a chance to do so.” He tells her pointedly, eliciting another eye-roll from her. “Patience is a virtue, Betts.” 

“Archie, are you wearing clothes yet?” Betty asks instead of responding. Jughead glances back up at Archie to see that no, he’s not wearing clothes yet - honestly, how long does it take one person to actually put a t-shirt on? It’s not like it's really that difficult - and decides he’s probably doesn’t even realise the effect it’s having. 

“You say that like I was completely naked.” Archie murmurs to himself, finally pulling the jumper he’s found over his head and sitting down on the middle of his bed. Jughead nudges Betty with his foot to tell her it’s safe for her to turn around, and she shoots him a small smile in thanks before spinning back round and taking a seat at Archie’s desk, laying out their project work in front of her. 

Jugheads left with the option of either sitting on the floor, or joining Archie on the bed. He chooses the later, shoving Archie’s shoulder gently to get him to make some room. Archie shoves him back, but shuffles over anyway, leaving just enough space for him to sit comfortably. Jughead sits down on the bed with a sigh, his right leg hanging over the edge and his shoulder brushing against Archies. 

“I’ve already got everything sorted for what we need to do.” Betty tells them, turning round in the swivel chair. “I printed out all the research last night and split it between the three of us.” She dropped a huge wad of paper on the bed in front of Jughead, it hit the sheets with a dull thump. A second - slightly smaller one, Jughead might add - fell in front of Archie too. “Read through it and find the relevant information for our topic, it should only take a couple hours.”

Jughead groaned, falling back so that he was lying on the bed, crossing his arms over his face - this group project was going to be the death of him.   
  
****

* * *

**TWO:**

Jughead’s phone started vibrating against the table, instantly drawing his attention away from his work. There were only really a few people that would be phoning him, and only one of those people that he’d probably end up answering, if he was being honest with himself. 

He reached for his phone, hitting the answer button after a few rings when he saw Archie’s name appear on the screen. He’d barely brought the phone up to his ear when Archie started talking, the words coming out so fast that he almost seemed to trip over them, making it hard for Jughead to understand what he was saying.

“Hey Jug, do you think you could come over? I need to talk to you about something.”

“Whoa, slow down.” Jughead told him, glancing down at his laptop to see the time - it was almost eleven at night, so he figured whatever it was Archie wanted to talk to him about must have been pretty important. “Right now?”

“Yeah, unless you’re busy?” He asked hesitantly, launching into an nervous ramble that wasn’t at all like Archie. “Cause if you’re busy then I can definitely wait, you don’t need to-”

“No, I’m free,” Jughead cut him off, already closing down his laptop. “I’ll be over in a bit.”

Archie breathed out a relieved ‘ _ thank you’  _ before hanging up the phone, leaving Jughead to quickly eat the rest of his chips as he made his way out the diner.

Jughead had been at Pop’s for most of the day now, working on his writing as usual, and somewhere along the way it’d started to snow. He’d spent a good twenty minutes just watching it fall, not having seen snow since he was really young. 

As soon as he stepped a foot outside the door the cold air of the night hit him, causing him to shiver a little as he pulled his jacket closer around himself. Jughead had not dressed for this kind of weather at all - maybe for someone else wearing four layers might be enough to fight off the chill, but when you wore that much clothing all year round like he did, it started to become less effective when he actually needed it. 

He pulled his hat a little lower on his head, making sure to cover his ears as much as possible as he made his way over to Archie’s. The walk from Pop’s wasn’t too far, but he knew that by the time he arrived that his cheeks must have been bright red from the cold, the hair that stuck out from under his beanie covered in tiny clumps of snow.  

Jughead took the steps up the porch two at a time, knocking loudly on the front door. He’d considered just walking straight in and up to Archie’s room, but had decided against it at the last minute. When no one answered the door he was about to do just that, stopped only by the buzzing of his phone again in his back pocket.

**_From Archie:_ ** _  (Received - 15:05) _

_ I’m up in the tree house, come round the back _

Jughead sighed, putting his phone back into his pocket. He was seriously starting to regret not bringing a coat with him - or at least wearing a thicker jumper - especially if he was now going to have to sit outside whilst Archie told him whatever it was that was so important. 

He went round the side of the house and through the gate that led into the Andrews back garden. The treehouse had been there for as long as Jughead could remember, the two of them spending countless hours up there when they were younger. He hadn’t been up there for a while now, a wave of nostalgia hitting him as he climbed up the ladder.

As he came to the top of the ladder he spotted Archie - he was laying on his back, arms behind his head and looking up through the small plastic window Fred had put in so that they could watch the stars. He was a little too big to be laying across the treehouse now, having to pull his knees up so that there was room. 

“Any particular reason we’re out here rather than, I don’t know, inside?” Jughead asked in lieu of a greeting, pulling himself up and into the tree house. “Where it’s warm?”

Archie just shrugged, as best he could from his position. “Didn’t want my dad to hear.”

That gets Jughead to pause, sitting down against the wall by Archie’s head. It must have been pretty important to him if he didn’t want to risk Fred hearing them. 

Archie looks over at him then when he doesn’t respond, eyes flicking across Jughead’s face. “Are you cold?”

“Not even a little bit.” Jughead lies, causing Archie to roll his eyes. He pushes himself up so that he’s sitting next to Jughead, unravelling the scarf he’s wearing. He tries to protest, but as Archie leans forward to wrap the scarf around Jugheads neck he finds the complaint stuck in his throat.

“Better?” Jughead hums noncommittally, ducking his head down to bury the bottom of his face in the scarf. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket, pulling his knees up close to his chest in an attempt to warm himself up. 

Archie nods to himself, going back to staring out of the window again, absentmindedly picking at the skin of his fingers. Jughead’s still not sure what it is that Archie want’s to talk to him about, but from the look on his face he seemed to be trying to muster up the courage to get the words out. 

Jughead understood exactly how he was feeling in that moment, so he didn’t try and push him, just waited as patiently as he could for Archie to decide to speak up.

“How did you know you were asexual?” Jughead frowned, glancing back over at Archie. That was definitely not what he’d been expecting Archie to say, but he looked completely sincere, so Jughead just shrugged as a way of response.

“I don’t really know, I just did?” That didn’t seem to satisfy Archie, who raised his eyebrows and kept staring at him. “I read about it somewhere and it just… it made sense, I knew that’s exactly how I felt about, well, you know. Why?”

When Archie didn’t answer straight away, Jughead used one of his knees to nudge Archie’s arm. “Arch?”

“I’m Bi?” He speaks so quietly Jughead almost misses it, unsure if what he heard was what Archie had actually said. 

“Is that a question, or-?” 

“No.” Archie cuts him off, shaking his head. “No it’s… I’m definitely Bi. Or at least i’m like, 80% sure.” Jughead huffs out a laugh at that, leaning his head back against the wall.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” He tilts his head to the side to look at Archie, his face awash with confusion. “That’s it?”

“What did you want me to say?”

“I don’t know, I thought maybe you’d think it was wrong or something...” Jughead thinks maybe Archie’s joking, but there’s real worry in his eyes - Jughead can’t fathom why Archie would ever think he’d judge him for something as mundane as him being attracted to guys. It wasn’t like Jughead didn’t feel the same way, although come to think of it, he’d never actually told Archie that. 

“You really think the loner, weirdo kid is going to think you’re strange just because you happen to also like guys?” 

“You’re not.” Jughead frowns.. 

“Not what?”

“A loner weirdo, or whatever.” Archie clarifies, causing Jughead to smile.

“Try telling half the student body that.”

“Jug-”

“The point is,” Jughead cuts him off, ignoring the sad look Archie’s giving him. “You’re not weird just ‘cause you like guys too.” This feels like the perfect opportunity to tell Archie that ‘ _ hey, I like guys as well, just maybe not quite in the same way as you _ ’, but he can’t find it in himself to bring it up just yet. 

That conversation could wait for another day. Probably.

“I… Thanks, Jug.” Archie’s actually smiling now, and Jughead’s just glad that he was the one to make that happen. He didn’t like seeing Archie looking down, it just wasn’t right.

“Now that we’ve cleared that up, can we please go inside? It’s fucking freezing up here.” Archie let out a burst of laughter, shoulders shaking against Jugheads side. Jughead took that as a yes, backing up to the stairs so that he could climb back down. 

“I’m keeping the scarf by the way.” Archie didn’t protest otherwise, so Jughead took that as a win. 

* * *

**THREE:**

It was probably a surprise to absolutely no-one that Jughead had managed to get himself beaten up. He’d been expecting it really - a side effect of his smart mouth, his dad would like to say – he just hadn’t expected it to hurt as much as it did.

He was leaning up against the wall near Archie’s locker, waiting for his friend to finish his class so that they could walk home. He grew bored of staring out the window pretty quickly, instead digging around in his bag to find the new detective novel he’d borrowed from the school’s library. No sooner had he opened it to the next chapter was it plucked out of his hands by none other than Reggie Mantle.

Jughead sighed, holding out a hand for the book. “Give it back, Reggie.”

Reggie took a step back, holding the book just out of Jughead’s reach. “What is it this week? Something else to satisfy you murder fetish?” Jughead rolled his eyes as Reggie flicked through the book.

“Go ahead and give it a read, although it might be a little difficult for you, it uses some pretty big words.” Reggie snapped the book shut, dropping it to the tiles at Jughead’s feet. He knew he should have left it there, but something in him just couldn’t seem to leave it be. “Probably for the best, it doesn’t even have any pictures in it, I’m not sure you’d have been able to cope.”

The first punched hit him in the stomach, knocking all the air out of his lungs in one sharp breath. He felt like he should have expected it, but the caught him completely off guard. The pain was immediate, spreading through him like wildfire, causing him to double over in pain. He would have fallen over if a pair of hands hadn’t hauled him up, shoving at his shoulders to slam him into the lockers.

Jughead winced as a padlock dug into his spine, eyes closed against the pain. He realised his mistake only a second later when a fist connected with the side of his face, his eyes flying open in shock. He swore he could already feel the bruise blossoming on his cheek by the time the second hit came, slamming into his nose with a force he didn’t even think was possible.

He sucked in a breath and prepared for another hit when he was suddenly let go, the pressure on his shoulder releasing. It was at that point his legs decided they didn’t want to co-operate with him anymore, buckling under the pain – Jughead slid down the lockers and to the floor, hitting the ground with a dull thump.

His ears were ringing, and the pain in his nose was almost unbearable, but he forced himself to look up at see what had happened to make Reggie let him go. He was surprised to see Archie there, hands fisted in the back of Reggie’s shirt as he pulled him away from Jughead. Archie shoved Reggie down the hallway, the other boy spinning back round to aim a punch in Archie’s direction, but he wasn’t quick enough – Archie’s fist caught Reggie right in the face, knocking him back a few steps. 

“Arch, stop!” Archie, who’d looked ready to hit him again, suddenly stopped, hands clenched into fists at his side. Reggie was holding his face with one hand, shooting a panicked look at Archie before he quickly fled the scene, rounding the corner before Archie had chance to change his mind.

Jughead let out a sigh of relief, his eyes fluttering closed again as he leant his head back against the lockers. He let out a short groan and the movement, the slight knock making his head spin. He felt a hand on his shoulder a few seconds later, flinching away instinctively.

“Jug, you alright?” Jughead tried for a nod, hoping it was convincing, but the way his face contorted in pain at the movement probably gave him away.

“Never been better.”

“Jug, come on.” Jughead slowly opened his eyes again, blinking against the harsh light as he took Archie in. Archie was crouched down in front of him, a look of concern spread across his features as he looked over Jugheads face. The closeness sent a familiar flutter through Jughead’s chest, something he steadfastly ignored as Archie brought one of his hands up to touch Jughead’s cheek.

Jughead couldn’t help but wince at the contact, the skin beneath his eye still throbbing with pain. Archie quickly dropped his hand, instead hooking his arm around Jugheads waist to try and help him stand. 

“You alright to stand up?” Jughead nodded, putting his arm around Archie’s shoulder, leaning into him as they stood up. Archie’s fingers were warm against his skin where his shirt had ridden up, but Jughead tried not to think too much about that right now, focusing on staying on his feet long enough to get to wherever Archie was planning on taking him.

It was then that Jughead realised they’d drawn a crowd, glancing away from Archie to see the group of students stood staring at them from either side. Jughead went to take a step away from Archie, trying to draw the attention away from himself, but Archie just tightened his grip, pulling Jughead closer to his side.

He ducked his head down, trying to hide his blush at the contact as Archie started to walk, pulling him away from the crowds of curious students. Jughead didn’t pay much attention to where they were going until Archie stopped, the sound of him knocking on a door sending a shock through his skull.

When no-one answered, Archie tried the handle and the door swung open, letting the two of them cross the threshold of the nurse’s office. 

“I guess they must have gone already.” As the door shut behind them, Archie helped Jughead up onto the bed, only letting go of the hold he had on Jughead’s waist when he was sure he wouldn’t topple over.

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” Archie asked, starting to rummage through the supplies in the room. 

He knew Archie was genuinely curious about what had happened and he only had the best intentions, but he really didn’t want to talk about it, so he tried to divert the topic instead. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be going through that stuff.”

“ _ Jug _ .” Jughead sighed, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.

“It was just Reggie being Reggie, not a whole lot new there.” He knew Archie probably wanted to pry farther, but thankfully he dropped it, grabbing something from the shelves and heading to the back of the small room.

Now that he had a chance to take in what had happened, and the pain had subsided a little, Jughead started to notice the moisture that had collected under his nose and along his chin. His pressed his fingers to his skin, only for them to come away slick with blood. “Shit.”

The sound of a tap running behind him caused him to turn, watching as Archie filled up a bowl with water. “What are you doing?”

Archie brought the bowl over to the bed, grabbing a few balls of cotton wool from one of the shelves on the wall. “Cleaning your face, now sit still.”

“I think I can do that myself, Archie.” Archie gave him a pointed look, his ‘ _ don’t even bother trying to argue with me’  _ face. Jughead raised his hands in mock surrender, allowing Archie to start wiping the blood away from his face. “Do you think it’s broken?” He asked, watching as Archie wrinkled his nose in concentration.

“I don’t know, it doesn’t look broken. Does this hurt?” Archie pressed the damp cotton against the side of Jughead’s nose, causing him to quickly pull back as pain shot across his face.

“Fuck, Archie! Yes, that hurts.” Archie winced apologetically, dropping the blood-soaked cotton into the bin.

“Sorry...”

“You’d better be.” Archie smiled up at him, despite the aggressive tone to his voice. He’d known Jughead long enough now to know that there was no real bite behind his words.

Archie hesitantly continued to clean up Jugheads face, a comfortable silence falling between the two of them. Jughead watched Archie, noting the crease in his forehead as he frowned in concentration. He wasn’t sure why - or maybe he did and he just chose to ignore it, as usual - but he had a sudden urge to smooth it out with his thumb.

Jughead shook himself out of that train of thought, forcing himself to look elsewhere, his gaze landing on the hand Archie had cradled to his stomach. Jughead frowned as he noticed the blood on Archie’s knuckles, taking Archie’s hand in his so that he could get a better look.

Archie stilled, his body tensing as Jughead pulled his hand closer, his thumb rubbing against the back of Archie’s hand. “You’re hurt.” When Archie didn’t respond, Jughead glanced back up at him, seeing his friend staring down at him blankly. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“Of course I did,” Archie frowned, dropping his free hand from Jugheads chin, throwing the rest of the cotton in the bin. “I wasn’t about to just stand there whilst he hit you.”

Jughead scoffed, shaking his head. “Everyone else sure looked like they would have.”

“Yeah, well, i’m not everyone else, am I?” He didn’t know how to respond to that, dropping his gaze from Archies. He realised he was still holding onto Archie’s hand, letting go gently. 

“Tell me,” Jughead broke the silence first, steering the conversation away from whatever it was Archie had meant by that. “How much of a badass is this gonna make me look tomorrow?” Archie huffed out a laugh, taking a step back from him - Jughead hadn’t realised how close they’d been until Archie moved away.

“You’re going to have one hell of a bruise, that’s for sure.” Archie’s eyes flicked down to Jughead’s chest, nodding towards it. “Might want to change out of that though.”

“Huh?” Jughead frowned, pulling his t-shirt away from his chest so that he could get a better look at it, only then noticing the blood that had soaked into the fabric - he’d probably have to throw it away if he didn’t try and wash it soon. “Not a good look, huh?”

“Not really.” Archie was crouched on the floor when Jughead looked back over at him, rummaging through his sports bag that he’d dropped at the foot of the bed. Jughead noticed his own bag was sat by the door too, Archie must have grabbed it before they left the lockers. When he stood up again Archie was holding one of his own t-shirts, a spare that he kept in his bag just incase he needed it after practice. 

He was holding it out to Jughead, who took it reluctantly. That thing had probably been in Archie’s bag for weeks now, sitting in the boys locker room for a lot of that time. Jughead resisted the urge to see how it smelt, it was better than what he had on right now, at least. 

“I…” He couldn’t help the small smile the curved at the corner of his lips when he looked back up at Archie. “Thanks.”

Archie just shrugged. “S’ok.” When Jughead didn’t respond, Archie nudged at his foot with his shin, causing Jughead’s leg to swing back and forth for a while. “You gonna get changed or what?”

“Now?”

“It’s not like anyone’s here, they’ve all gone home.” Jughead looked at him skeptically, but he shrugged his jacket off anyway, dropping it on the bed besides him. 

“Do you mind?” He asked, raising his eyebrows pointedly at Archie. Archie just rolled his eyes, turning so that he had his back to him - Jughead could have sworn he saw a blush forming on Archie’s cheeks at the gesture, but he put that down to the blow to the head, he was probably just seeing things. 

He quickly changed out of his bloodied shirt, wincing as he stretched his arms above his head, pulling at his stomach muscles. As he pulled Archie’s shirt over his head, he noted that it actually smelt alright - it was a little big though, hanging off Jugheads thin frame. 

Jughead cleared his throat when he put his jacket back on, kicking lighting at the back of Archie’s leg to let him know it was safe to turn around again.

Jughead carefully slid down from the bed, accepting his bag from Archie as the two of them made their way out of the nurse's office. It wasn’t until they were almost out of the school that Jughead realised something was missing - he ran a hand through his hair, stopping when he noticed he wasn’t wearing his hat anymore.

“Arch?” Archie stopped walking, turning back to face him. “You didn’t see my hat back there, did you?” A look of recognition washed over Archie’s face. He reached into the pocket of his hoodie, pulling out Jughead’s hat.

“Sorry, forgot I hadn’t given this back to you yet.” Jughead expected Archie to just pass it to him, but instead he smoothed out the hat, pulling it onto Jughead’s head himself. 

Jughead just stared at him in confusion as Archie pulled a few strands of hair out of the hat, humming to himself once he’d finished. “Good as new.” Archie set off down the hallway once he was done, leaving a flustered Jughead to stare after him. 

* * *

**FOUR:**

On the night of July the third, Jughead was sat waiting on a bench for Archie to come and pick him up for their fourth of July weekend roadtrip. He’d had a hard time trying to round up any sort of camping equipment that he had, but he had his sleeping bag, as well as all the food he thought he could logistically need for the two days they’d be away - so logically, half his bag was filled with the stuff. 

They’d decided that it’d be best to set off the evening before, so that they could get to their first destination in time to watch the sun rise over the mountains from the back of Archie’s truck. Archie had argued that it sounded like the sort of thing which would be written in a sappy romance novel, but when Jughead discovered that Archie had never actually watched the sunrise he’d insisted that they needed to add it to their list of activities.

It’s pitch black by the time he reached the agreed meeting point - a spot on the outskirts of Riverdale that’s far enough away from any houses that they don’t have to worry about waking anyone. The lamppost above the bench he’d chosen to sit on kept flickering every so often, a slight buzz eliciting from it every time it did so.  

Jughead checked the time on his phone, the bright screen hurting his eyes for a moment before he turned it down.  _ 11:15, Archie’s a quarter of an hour late _ . That wasn’t all that uncommon though, Archie wasn’t exactly known for being punctual, so Jughead pulled up a game on his phone and settled down to wait for him.

He soon started to get cold, so he dug around in his bag for a jumper, coming across one that doesn’t belong to him. It’s an old one of Archie’s that he’d been meaning to give back to him for weeks now - Archie had left it at Jugheads place when they’d been doing homework after school towards the end of the year, and Jughead just kept forgetting to return it.

After deciding he can’t be bothered to try and route around for something of his own to wear, Jughead pulled the jumper over his head, almost instantly warming up - he knocks his hat slightly askew, but he quickly puts it back in place. 

There are small holes on the ends of both sleeves that Archie had made by picking at the fabric when he was nervous - Jughead liked to use them as thumb holes, stopping the sleeves from riding up and making the whole thing that much more cosy.

It’s not until he’s been waiting for another half an hour that he finally decides to phone Archie and find out where the hell he is, but the call just goes to voicemail. Jughead sighed, starting to type out a text to Archie when his phone buzzes.

**_From Archie:_ ** _ (Received - 11:45) _

_ Hey Jug.  _

_ Can’t come this weekend.  _

_ Got to work for dad.  _

Jughead frowned as he read the message over again, slumping down in his seat. Fred’s known about this trip for weeks now - they’d been planning it ever since Archie got his driver's license - so he doesn’t understand why he’d be making Archie work now of all weekends. 

**_From Archie:_ ** _ (Received - 11:47) _

_ Sorry. _

Jughead stareed at the new message for a long time, repeating the word over and over in his head until it doesn’t make sense any more. He makes a snap decision, snatching his bag up from the floor and setting off in the direction of the Andrews household.

There are a million and one thoughts rolling over in his mind as he walked down the pavement, trying to think of a reasonable explanation for Archie’s message. Maybe his Dad really did need him to work over the weekend. Maybe Archie wasn’t well. Maybe he’d actually double booked his time with Betty and he didn’t want to hurt Jughead’s feelings by prioritising one friend over the other.

But there was one though, the one that he couldn’t help but listening to, that told him that Archie was really just blowing him off to hang out with some new friends that he’d made over the summer, and was too much of a coward to actually tell him. 

A small part of Jughead - the ever constant, self-depreciating part - had always assumed Archie would eventually grow tired of him. That he’d realise that Jughead just wasn’t fun to be around anymore and he’d leave him behind - and honestly? Jughead wouldn’t even blame him if that was the case, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less to think about. 

It’s past midnight by the time he arrives at Archie’s house, knocking loudly on the front door. It’s Fred that answers, not Archie, looking incredibly surprised to see Jughead standing there, which causes him to frown.

“Jughead, what are you doing here?” Fred rubs a tired hand over his eyes, leaning slightly against the half open door. “I thought you and Archie would have gone by now.” 

A sudden ache swells up in Jughead’s chest at the words, the reality of the situation really setting in. “He’s not at work still?”

“What?” Fred asks, confusion setting in. “No, I gave him the weekend off so you guys could go on your trip, he left an hour ago.” When Jughead doesn’t say anything, too caught up in his own thoughts, Fred speaks up again. “Is everything alright?”

Jughead snaps his attention back to Fred, nodding slowly as he backs off the porch. “Yeah, everything’s fine, I just remembered we changed where we were meeting. Thanks, Mr Andrews.” By the time Fred has chance to speak again, Jughead’s gone, sprinting round the corner as fast as he could until he was out of sight of the house. 

Jughead went straight home then. Well, he say’s home, but he’d moved out of his old home three weeks ago and had spent most of his time hauled up at the drive-in, something he’d been planning on telling Archie about on their road trip. 

It seemed like that wasn’t going to be happening now, especially since Archie was apparently lying to him about where he was spending the weekend. Even though he’d thought he was prepared for something like this to happen eventually, it still hurt - he could feel the tears in his eyes threatening to spill over, but he forced himself to calm down as he slammed the door to his small room shut. 

Jughead shoved his bag in the corner of the room, throwing himself down onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow. It’s then that he realises he’s still wearing Archie’s jumper. The old, battered one that doesn’t even really fit him right anymore. Jughead shifts around on the bed, pulling the jumper up so that he can tuck his nose under the fabric of it, breathing in the scent that’s still undeniably Archie after all this time. 

But something that had normally brought him comfort only managed to make him even angrier. Jughead pushed himself up to sit on the bed, tugging the jumper over his head and throwing it into the corner of the room. It lands in a sad heap on the pile of film reels, his hat along with it, but he doesn’t care enough right then to go and pick it up. 

Jughead digs his phone out of his back pocket, leaning back against the wall as he types out a response to Archie’s message. 

**_To Archie:_ ** _ (Sent - 12:48) _

_ Whatever, man. _

_ I know when i’m being lied too. _

_ You don’t have to make up some bullshit excuse to get out of seeing me anymore. _

Jughead knows he might be being a little harsh, he still doesn’t really know Archie’s side of it, but the rational side of his brain had almost entirely gone out of the window. When ten minutes later he still hasn’t gotten a response from Archie, Jughead flings his phone across the room.

The crack that resonates from it as it hits the wall isn’t nearly as satisfying as he’d hoped it would be.

* * *

**FIVE:**

By the time the drive-in had officially closed, Jughead still hadn’t figured out where he was actually going to live. He’d been so sure that he had a chance at saving it that he hadn’t even given it much thought, but now – as he walked down the road with his entire life on his back – he really wished he’d been able to come up with at least one option.

He’d momentarily considered hiding somewhere in the school until they locked it up for the night, using the key that Betty had given him for the newsroom to crash on one of the sofas there. He’d ultimately decided against it, though. Sleeping at the drive-in was one thing, no one was ever going to find out about that, but the school? It just felt like too much of risk and he’d rather not get arrested for breaking and entering if he didn’t have to.

It was still only 7pm, so he had plenty of time to kill before he needed to start thinking about where he was planning on sleeping for the night. Almost on instinct, Jughead ended up at Pop’s, stashing his bag under the table before settling into his favourite booth. It should probably bother him that he went there enough to even have a favourite booth, but with his current predicament on his mind he couldn’t really bring himself to care.

Soon he was back in his element, his laptop open in front of him and a plate of chips off to the side – he’d almost turned them down when Pop brought them over for him, thinking of the few bills he had stashed in the pocket of his bag, but he figured he might as well eat whilst he had the chance. 

Pop had given a curious glance to the bag sticking out from under the table, but he’d known Jughead long enough now to not ask, something Jughead was immensely grateful for.

By the time 12pm rolled around, Jughead was finding it hard to stay awake – he’d had trouble sleeping the past week, what with worrying about the drive-in, and it was starting to take it’s toll on him. He sighed to himself as he watched Pop start to close up the diner, resigning himself to the fact that he needed to be leaving soon. 

Jughead shut down his laptop, stuffing it back into his back with the rest of his belongings. He grabbed his plate and left it on the counter as he left the diner, heading out into the night with no real destination in mind. He thought maybe if he kept walking, he’d be able to stay awake through the night, and he could leave his problems for another day. 

As a yawn wracks through him, he knows that’s not an option. He needs to sleep, he just doesn't know where. 

The street lights that surround the park are flickering once he gets there, illuminating the field and the benches that are dotted around it. Jughead runs his hand along the back of one of them, pausing beside it for a moment. He considers tying his bag around one of the legs and sleeping here for the night, out under the stars - it’s a nice thought for all of thirty seconds until he really starts to think about it. 

The idea of someone seeing him there and taking pity on him was almost too much for him to handle, he didn’t need his problems out in the open for everyone to witness. With reluctance, Jughead left the park and carried on walking. 

It’s almost one in the morning when he winds up outside Archie’s house. He cursed his own feet for bringing him here against his will - him and Archie may be back on speaking terms again, but he didn’t know if they were close enough yet for him to bring this up, he wasn’t sure how Archie would take it.

He thinks about knocking at Betty’s house instead, turning away from yet another one of his problems - but the lights are out throughout the house and he’d really rather not bring on the wrath of her mother, so instead he takes the plunge and walks up the steps to the Andrews household.

It’s Fred who answers the door, much to Jugheads surprise. He hadn’t expected him to still be awake. Fred takes Jughead in for a moment, eyes catching on the bag at his back - the poster sticking out the side - but like Pop, he doesn’t ask. Jughead recognises the look on his face though, it’s his ‘ _ I’m going to talk to you about this later’ _ look. 

He figures if he can swallow his pride and talk to Archie about it first, telling Fred might not be so bad.

Jughead sucks in a breath, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Is uh… Is Archie in?” Fred stares at him for a moment longer, before nodding and moving aside to let Jughead into the house. 

He left his shoes at the foot of the stairs, taking them slowing - he tried not to think back to the last time he’d been up there, back at the start of the summer. It feels like everything’s changed since then, like  _ they’ve _ both changed, and not necessarily for the better. 

Jughead knocked on the door hesitantly, the sound of it seeming to echo around the quiet house. 

“Leave me alone, Dad.” Archie’s voice came from behind the door, sounding muffled and a little bit upset. 

“It’s uh… It’s me, Archie.” There’s no reply for a while. Jughead started to worry that maybe Archie doesn’t want him there either when suddenly the door opened and he’s face to face with a tired looking Archie. 

“Grundy’s gone, so if you’re here to try and talk me out of seeing her, then you’re wasting your time.” Archie didn’t even stay to see what Jughead says, stalking back into his room and laying down on the bed. He didn’t shut the door though, so Jughead took that as an invitation for him to follow.

“That’s not why I’m here, Arch.” Jughead shut the door behind him when he entered, hesitantly sitting down on the edge of the bed near Archie’s head, leaning back against the headboard.  

“Then what is it?” He wanted to tell him, but the words caught in his throat as he tried to force them out.

“What happened with Grundy?” Is what he asked instead, noting the hurt look on Archie’s face when he says her name.

“You’re changing the subject.”

“So are you.” Archie sighed, running a hand over his face. It’s then that Jughead noticed how red his eyes are, the skin beneath them rubbed raw - Archie had been crying. “Arch?” 

“Mrs Cooper found out.” When Archie didn’t expand on that, Jughead nudged his knee with his own, trying to get him to continue. Archie bit his lip, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “About me and Grundy - She was going through Betty’s diary and she must have written something about us.”

Archie didn’t look like he wanted to go into it any more than that, but Jughead was pretty sure he could fill in the rest of the pieces on his own. 

“I’m sorry she’s gone.” Archie looked over at him then, a slight frown on his face as he pushed himself up to sit against the headboard besides Jughead.

“No, you’re not.” Jughead sighed.

“You’re right, I’m not - but I am sorry that it’s hurt you.” Archie opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it again, looking back down at his hands. 

The two of them sat in silence for awhile, shoulders pressed against each other. Jughead had closed his eyes, resting his head back against the headboard of Archie’s bed. He could almost feel himself starting to drift off when Archie spoke again.

“Your turn.” Jughead blinked open his eyes, glancing over at him.

“Hmm?” 

“What are you doing here?” The words stung, even though he was sure they weren’t intended to. Archie sounded genuinely curious as to why Jughead was there, but the fact that it was no longer a normal occurrence hurt him more than he thought it would.  

“I…” Jughead paused, unsure of how to phrase it. He wasn’t used to asking anyone else for help, even Archie -  _ especially Archie - _ and it was harder than he thought it would be to actually get the words out. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.” Archie’s frown was back as he sat up properly, turning to face Jughead on the bed, legs crossed beneath him. 

“What do you mean?” Jughead watched Archie then, noting the concern in his eyes as he waited for him to respond. They may not be best friends any more, they may never be again, but it was nice to know that someone still cared about him, even after everything that had happened between them. 

“You know the drive-in?” Archie nodded, eyes absentmindedly flicking to the flyer on his bed-side table that Jughead had handed out at school a few days before it’s closing. Jughead didn’t have to wonder very hard to figure out why Archie hadn’t been there. “I wasn’t just pissed about it closing because it was important to our culture, or whatever. I’ve… I’ve been been living there.” 

Archie’s gaze snapped back over to him, his eyes wide in shock. “You’ve what?” 

“Please don’t make me repeat myself.” Archie looked genuinely hurt, and that made Jughead pause. He couldn’t place why that would be his reaction, not for a few seconds at least, and then it hit him - If Archie hadn’t skipped out on their fourth of July trip, if they’d still been friends over the summer, then they probably would have had this conversation weeks ago.

Sure, Jughead still would have waited a while before bringing it up, that’s just how he was, but he’d been living at the drive-in for nearly two months now, and Archie was only just hearing about it. 

“I don’t understand.” Was all Archie said. Jughead sighed, pushing himself to sit up properly too, his hands resting in his lap. 

“It’s pretty simple actually, the place I’ve been living is getting knocked down, so I’m officially homeless.” He tried to say it jokingly, but the look on Archie’s face told him it’d fallen flat. 

“But what about your d-?” 

“I’m not going back there.” Jughead cut him off before Archie even had chance to finish that question. If going back to live with his father was even an option, he’d have been there, no doubt about it. But he couldn’t go back, not now, maybe not ever. 

“Alright. Do you want to talk about it?” Jughead gave him a pointed look, that clearly said ‘ _ no, I don’t want to talk about this, not now’. _ Archie must have understood, because he didn’t push him to talk any further. 

“Wait here a second.” Archie didn’t give him any chance to protest otherwise before he’d clambered off the bed, leaving Jughead alone in the room. 

Jughead sighed as he collapsed onto the bed, laying with his feet stuffed under the pillows, his arms tucked under his head. It felt… good, to have everything out in the open - even if he hadn’t gone into a whole lot of detail about the reasons behind everything. That could come later, at least right now Archie seemed to understand.

He wasn’t sure how long Archie was gone for, but he’s soon shaken awake, blinking up to find Archie standing by the side of the bed, holding a bundle of clothes in his arms. Jughead was about to ask what they’re for when Archie beat him too it.

“Figured you’d want something a bit more comfortable to sleep in.” Jughead sat up on the bed, swinging his legs over the side. He took the clothes Archie gave him, staring up at him in shock.

“You mean I can stay?” 

“Did you honestly think I’d make you leave?” He didn’t know how to respond to that, because a small part of him really had thought that Archie might turn him away, so he decided it was best just to say nothing at all. 

Jughead wasn’t really one for hugs, but as he stood up Archie wrapped his arms around Jugheads shoulders and pulled him close against his chest. He felt himself crumble as Archie rested his chin on Jugheads shoulder, finding himself hugging Archie back with his free arm, if only just for a moment -  the clothes Archie had given him crushed between the. .

When they pull apart, Jughead quickly pushed past him and headed over to the bathroom at the end of the hall to get changed. He thought back to the last time he’d gotten changed in that very spot all those months ago, when he’d been dripping wet and Archie’s clothes had been just that little bit too big for him. 

Now, though, it was the opposite. Where Archie’s pyjama trousers had once pooled at his feet, they now fell just a little above his ankles. The t-shirt he’d been given was stretched out more than it had been before, hanging off Jughead’s thin frame much more noticeably - he didn’t want to dwell for too long on how much of that was due to Archie’s time working in construction or Jugheads lack of a proper meal for the past few weeks.

By the time he gets back, Archie’s laying on the bed again, hands resting on his stomach as he stares up at the ceiling. 

Jughead wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself, hovering by the end of the bed and dropping his dirty clothes on top of his bag, hanging his hat off the top of the poster he’d saved from the drive-in for safekeeping. 

Archie looks over at him then, gesturing for him to come and join him on the bed. Hesitantly, Jughead does, climbing under the sheets to lay down next besides him. His breath hitched in his throat when Archie rolled over, moving close to Jugheads side and throwing an arm around his waist, his head coming to rest on the pillow beside his own.

“Is this okay?” Archie asked and Jughead just nodded, for lack of any words. “Don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” It warmed Jug’s heart a little that Archie still remembered that, giving him the courage to reach up and take hold of Archie’s hand. He relaxed a little when Archie moved to lace their fingers together, letting out the breath of air he’d been holding. 

“This is okay.” He can feel Archie’s warm breath against his neck when he sighs, his free hand coming up to play with the hairs on the back of Archie’s neck. 

He doesn’t understand what’s brought this on. Maybe because they’re both having a relatively shitty day and they just need each other to be there, but whatever the reason, he doesn’t really mind. He actually kind of likes it, thinking that maybe he could be alright with this kind of contact.

“Jug?” Jughead turned his head to the side, close enough to Archie that it’s sort of hard to focus on him properly, but neither of them make any attempt to move apart. 

“Hmm?” 

“I really am sorry. For  _ everything _ .” Archie put so much emphasis on that last word that Jughead couldn’t help but smile. 

“Me too.” That caused Archie to frown. 

“You don’t have anything to-”

“Yes, I do.” Jughead cut him off before Archie had chance to say anything more. “I’m as much to blame for this whole mess as you are, I never even gave you a chance to explain yourself.” Archie looked like he has more to say on the matter, but a yawn suddenly wracked through Jughead, so Archie dropped it. 

“Do you think we can start over?” Archie asked instead, his voice no more than a whisper. 

Jughead closed his eyes, nodding ever so slightly. “Yeah, I think I can live with that.”

  
****

* * *

**PLUS ONE:**

When Jughead woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to remember where he was. The familiar draft he’d become used to was gone and there was no squeak of mattress springs as he turned over onto his back. He stretched his arm out across the sheets, expecting to bump into Archie, but all he found was the edge of the bed. 

Jughead blinked open his eyes, casting a look around the room, but Archie was no-where to be seen. As he sat up, he noticed that his bag had gone too, no longer at the foot of the bed where he’d left it the night before. Frowning, Jughead climbed out of the bed, grabbing one of Archie’s jumpers from the back of the door before heading out into the rest of the house. 

He stifled a yawn as he made his way down the stairs, heading into the kitchen when he heard voices coming from that direction. Voices, however, turned out to just be one. 

Archie was stood at the stove, making what looked to be pancakes - something they’d eaten all the time when they were kids. He was singing quietly to himself, a song that Jughead didn’t recognise - he found himself wondering if it was one he’d written himself, realising he hadn’t actually heard Archie play any of them yet. 

That wasn’t what caught Jughead’s attention though - it was the fact that Archie was wearing his hat. He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it for himself, but it was hard to mistake the pointed fabric for anything other than his own beanie. 

Jughead cleared his throat, leaning up against the doorframe and watching in amusement as Archie let out a startled yelp, turning round to face him. The hat looked less ridiculous on Archie than he’d expected, if anything it actually kind of suited him. 

Jughead wasn’t even sure what he wanted to ask Archie first, instead just raising his eyebrows in question. Archie seemed to get it though, a huge grin spreading across his face.

“I thought I’d make breakfast, I didn’t want to wake you up just yet.” The ‘ _ you look like you haven’t been sleeping well’  _ was left in the air between them, but Jughead decided not to focus on that, heading into the kitchen properly and hopping up to sit on the counter next to Archie instead. He grabbed one of the pancakes from the small stack Archie had started to build, taking a bite. 

It’s then that he noticed the washing machine was on, too. He leant forward to look past Archie so he can get a better look - to his surprise his bag is leant up against it, looking remarkably empty, and all of his clothes were being cleaned. “You washed my clothes.” It’s not a question, but it still feels like one.

“Yeah. Well, Dad washed them. We weren’t…” Archie cut himself off, looking away from Jughead and back to the pancakes, flipping one over.

“Weren’t what?”

“We weren’t sure when you’d have washed them last.” Jughead nodded, looking away from Archie once his words register with him. 

“You told your dad, didn’t you?”

“You showed up on our doorstep at one in the morning carrying a bag full of all your possessions, it was pretty inevitable that he was going to ask questions.”

“Don’t go getting all smart on me now, Archie.” Archie huffed out a laugh, moving the pan from off the stove and tipping the last pancake onto the stack. “What’s with the hat?”

Archie’s hand suddenly went to his own head, falling against the fabric with a surprised look on his face as if he’d forgotten it was even there. “We weren’t sure how to wash it, I didn’t want to risk ruining it by putting it in with everything else. I figured if I wore it I was less likely to lose it, I can take it off if-”

Jughead reached out and took hold of Archie’s wrist, stopping him from pulling the hat off his head. “No, it’s… It’s okay, I don’t mind.” Archie looked as shocked at Jughead’s words as he’d felt saying them. He barely ever went anywhere without the hat and was incredibly protective of it, so it was a surprise to both of him that he was willing to part with it, if only for a short while. 

Jughead let go of Archie’s wrist, only for Archie to take hold of Jughead’s hand instead, his thumb rubbing against his skin. Jughead stared down at their hands, only looking back up at Archie when he began to speak.

“When you’re ready to talk about it, you know i’m here for you, right?” Archie was stood incredibly close now, placing himself so that Jughead’s legs were on either side of his waist, but careful not to be touching. 

Jughead wasn’t sure how to respond, nodding slightly as Archie squeezed his hand, moving to entwine their fingers together. “Same goes for you.” Is what he went for, watching as Archie’s smile falters a little. 

“You really want to hear me talk about Grundy? I thought you hated her?”

“I do, what she did to you was far from okay, but do you think I would have suggested it if I didn’t want to?” Archie stared at him for a second, a distant look in his eyes, but soon his smile is back in full force, a slight tilt to his head as he looks up at him.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to understand you.” Jughead huffed out a laugh, shaking his head.

“You and me both, Arch.” Archie let go of his fingers, placing his hands on either side of Jughead’s hips against the counter. Jughead followed the movement with his eyes, glancing back at Archie’s face just quick enough to catch him staring at Jughead’s lips, before his eyes were back on his own. 

There was a familiar flutter in Jughead’s chest at the gesture, reminding him of feelings he’d thought had passed a long while ago - feelings he thought Archie would never be able to return. 

With Jughead sat on the counter, Archie had to stand up on his tip-toes to be able to reach his face. “I’ve missed you so much, Jug.” Archie spoke up to fill the silence, swaying a little on unsteady feet. “You know that, right?” He looked hesitant, his eyes flicking nervously between Jugheads own, seemingly waiting for some sort of confirmation. 

Jughead thought back to Archie’s words from the night before -  _ ‘don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable’  _ \- and he realised that if anythings going to happen between them, he’s going to have to be the one to insinuate it. 

It takes him a moment to will himself to move, but he soon leant down to close the space between them, his eyes falling closed as he pressed his lips against Archie’s. Archie’s hand came to rest against his cheek, his lips soft and gentle against Jughead’s. 

There aren’t any fireworks, as people seemed to always describe their first kiss - Jughead hadn’t really been expecting that anyway - but it’s… it’s nice. There was a warm feeling in his chest as Archie’s fingers tangled in the hairs at the back of his neck and he realised that he could definitely get used to it.

Archie soon pulled away, a small smile on his lips as he stared up at Jughead. 

“Still only 80% sure that you like guys?” Jughead was momentarily worried that he’d ruined the moment, but then Archie started laughing, dropping back down onto the balls of his feet and leaning his forehead against Jughead’s chest. 

When Archie wrapped his arms round his waist, Jughead only stilled for a short moment before he’s got his arms around Archie’s shoulders, his chin coming to rest gently against the top of Archie’s head. 

“I reckon it’s at least in the high nineties now.” Archie mumbled against his chest, a laugh erupting from Jughead as he held on just a little bit tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this is not at all what my lecturer had in mind when he said this would be a good week for writing, but never mind - although I probably should get back to writing my essay now.  
> I'd love to hear what you guys think of this, any and all comments are greatly appreciated - this is my first time writing for these characters so any advice you have would also be great - so please let me know! 
> 
> Thank you as well to anyone that leaves kudos here, you're all amazing! Feel free to come and talk to me on tumblr about Riverdale things, I'm @petarparker!


End file.
